Drone manufacturer ODIN has unveiled “ODIN Win_Hit” – a high-speed interception drone designed to shoot down incoming Russian/Iranian Shahed drones.
The drone, whose shape resembles tiny warheads and which is powered by four propellers attached to its fins – similar to ordinary quad-drones instead of rocket engines – is designed to be launched from both ground-based and aerial platforms, according to a June Telegram update by its developer.
The goal, according to ODIN, is to apply lessons learned from Ukraine’s frontline use of first-person view (FPV) drones to create an effective – and efficient – system for countering Moscow’s long-range drones targeting cities behind the front lines.
Costing under $50,000 and with a reported range of up to 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles), the Iranian-designed Shahed drone has become Moscow’s weapon of choice for striking cities far behind the front lines.
On Tuesday, ODIN shared footage of the drone in action, presumably shot from the interceptor drones themselves as they approached the Russian drones mid-air in the Sumy region.
“Another video compilation of the results of the successful work of the Mad Bears team of the Pentagon battalion, [225th Separate Assault Battalion] on shooting down enemy drones in the sky over the Sumy region. Among the targets hit are several Molniya UAVs, Lancet loitering munitions, as well as Gerbera UAVs,” the update says.
On Wednesday, the developers said the first batch of the drones had been deployed to the front and called for additional funding to help scale the project.
ODIN said it is working with Ukraine’s air defense forces to incorporate the drone into the country’s nationwide air defense arsenal.
Technical specifications
ODIN Win_Hit is essentially a high-speed FPV drone that flies slightly faster than propeller-powered Shahed drones.
With a claimed cruise speed of around 220 kilometers per hour (136.7 miles per hour) and a terminal attack speed of up to 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour), that would grant ODIN Win_Hit a slightly faster speed than the 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per hour) claimed speed of Shahed drones.
The speed, coupled with a claimed effective range of 100 to 5,000 meters (0.06 to 3 miles) and a flight duration of 7 to 10 minutes, would allow it to intercept Russian drones mid-air, presumably within visual range.
However, as Russia began using jet-powered Shahed variants – albeit in small numbers – the ODIN drones are likely to be reserved for counteracting slower, traditional variants if deployed.
Ukraine’s answers to Shaheds
Ukrainian officials have hinted at different solutions at work against the Russian drones plaguing Ukrainian cities.
Military officials have announced new funding for the “Clear Sky” initiative in the Kyiv region to support the procurement and training of domestic interceptor drones designed to counter Russian Shahed attacks.
“These funds will go not just for the purchase of equipment, but for the creation of an effective response system,” an official said. “We are deploying an operator training center… [and] we are forming additional mobile units that will be on duty in the capital and on the approaches to the city.”
It is unclear if the ODIN team was involved in the “Clear Sky” initiative.
Another answer to the issue is light aircraft, according to Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrsky.
In June, Syrsky hinted at the country’s use of light aircraft to fend off Russian drones, naming Canada as one of the Western nations to have helped in the initiative.
“This area will develop. We are receiving modern light aircraft that have modern weapons and navigation aids, which will increase the effectiveness of countering Russian strike drones,” he said at the time.
With Moscow launching a record 750-plus drones in a single night, the pressing challenge is perhaps not inventing new tech, but rapidly scaling what already works to fend off the growing aerial assault.